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Statue
of Liberty
  The Statue of Liberty is more than a monument.
She is a beloved friend, a living symbol of freedom to millions around the
world. These exhibits are a tribute to the people who created her, to those who
built and paid for her, to the ideals she represents, and to the hopes she
inspires.
MUSEUM
HIGHLIGHTS
Statue
of Liberty Exhibit
The Statue of Liberty exhibit, which opened in July 1986 and is located on the
second floor in the pedestal of the Statue, traces the history and symbolism of
the Statue of Liberty through museum objects, photographs, prints, videos and
oral histories. In addition to historical artifacts and descriptive text, full
scale replicas of the Statue's face and foot are also on display. The main
historical sections include: From Idea to Image, Fabricating the Statue,
Stretching Technology, Fundraising in France, The Pedestal, Fundraising in
America, and Complete at Last. The next area focuses on the symbolism of
Liberty with sections titled Mother of Exiles, Becoming the Statue of America,
Century of Souvenirs, The Image Exploited and The Statue in Popular Culture.
The
Torch Exhibit
The
Torch Exhibit includes the original 1886 torch and much altered flame in the
lobby. On the second floor balcony overlooking this torch is a display on the
history of the torch and flame, explaining the various alterations through
diagrams, photographs, drawings and cartoons.
The
"New Colossus"
The famous sonnet written by Emma Lazarus in 1883. A bronze plaque,
dedicated in memory of Emma Lazarus' contribution to the completion of the
Statue's pedestal, has been affixed to the inner walls of the pedestal since
the early 1900's. This plaque, currently located in the Statue of Liberty
exhibit, has come to symbolize the statue's universal message of hope and
freedom for immigrants coming to America and people seeking freedom around the
world.
Text courtesy of the
National Park Service
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